Wheel flange lubricator



INVENTORS CHESTER A. BROWN CLIFFORD E. WINCHELL C A BROWN ET AL WHEEL FLANGE LUBRICATOR Filed May 25, 1955 I w, I:

Sept. 8, 1959 United States PatentC) WHEEL FLANGE LUBRICATOR Chester A. Brown, Oak Park, and Clifiord Winchell,

Elmhurst, Ill., assignors to National Alumlnate Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application May 25, 1955, Serial No. 511,058

7 Claims. (Cl. 184-3) This invention relates to a lubricator for applying a lubricant in solid form to the flange of a flanged wheel. The invention finds especially advantageous use in the lubrication of railway locomotive or car wheel flanges and the like.

Due to the nature of certain railwayoperatlons, 1.e., heavy freight operation on curved trackage or switcher service in yards and shops, wheel flanges of cars and locomotives and the rails of the track show high rates of wear. This gives rise to what is called shaip flanges on wheels. This condition condemns a wheel for further railway use and, if of wide incidence, naturally involves high maintenance and replacement costs. The wear on the rail necessitates costly rail renewals.

In order to reduce the wear on wheels and rails, a number of lubricants have been proposed for application to the wheels. Dry lubicants are favored as having extreme pressure characteristics, and they avoid the collection of dust, cinders or metal particles in the lubricant, to form an abrasive mixture. Loss of traction is also prevented by use of the dry lubricants.

With the use of a dry lubricant, it is necessary to pro vide a lubricator or applicator therefor. Wheel flange lubricators, for applying the lubricants in solid form to the flanges, have been devised. Thus, the dry lubricants are frequently applied in the form of solid sticks, which have been applied to the wheel flanges from lubricators. However, the lubricators have suffered from certain disadvantages, for example, plugging of the lubricator has been encountered and the parts have worn excessively.

It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved wheel flange lubricator or applicator which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior devices.

A particular object is to provide a lubricator which does not suffer from objectionable plugging or fouling.

Another object is to reduce the wear and the frequency and magnitude of replacement of the lubricator parts.

An additional object is to provide an eflective yet simple, durable and economical lubricator construction which consists of relatively few parts, avoids the use of valves, springs or regulating mechanism, is easily installed and gives trouble-free operation.

A further object is to furnish a construction which does not wear excessively and in which'the part subjected to wear is readily and economically replaced.

Another object is to provide a lubricator which is selfadjusting during use, to accommodate variations in the positions of the wheel flanges, and which is versatile in its application to the parts of a railway locomotive or car and may be mounted at either side of a wheel for various wheel types and locations.

An additional object is to provide an applicator which simply and reliably controls the application of the solid lubricant and wherein the supply of lubricant can be ob served for ascertaining the need for replacement.

A further object is to provide a self-contained lubricator unit which holds suflicient lubricant to last for a long period of time, with freedom from tackiness and "ice:

from collection of abrasives adjacent the wheel flanges, and with low maintenance costs.

These and other objects, advantages and functions of the invention, which consist in the novel structure, combination and arrangement of parts, will be apparent from the specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating selected embodiments of the invention, in which like parts are identified by like reference characters in each of the views and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view from outside of the wheel of a lefthand assembly (facing the locomotive) of one embodiment of the wheel flange lubricator of the invention, illustrating its application to a locomotive wheel;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the lubricator in a lefthand assembly, and represents a modified form of that shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of still another embodiment of the lubricator in a righthand assembly, illustrating a modified form of the stick holder;

Figure 4 is a broken perspective view of a further embodiment of the lubricator in a right hand assembly, wherein a bolt connection to the vehicle frame is substituted for the housing of the preceding views;

Figure 5 illustrates the angle of mounting of the lubricator with respect to the axle of a wheel; and

Figure 6 is a broken perspective view of one form of stick lubricant which is applied from the lubricator.

The invention provides a wheel flange lubricator or lubricating mechanism which includes a guide member mountable adjacent the flange of a flanged wheel and which is engageable with the flange, a holder for a lubricant and for applying it to the flange, and means for connecting the holder to the guide member. In a preferred embodiment, a housing for the glide member is provided which is mountable adjacent the flange, for example, on the truck frame proximate to the flange of a flanged locomotive wheel or the like. The guide member serves to properly position the lubricant holder for co-rrect application of the lubricant to the flange under operating conditions. The device is especially useful in having a long trouble-free service life withrelatively .little wear and without plugging, fouling or collection of debris.

The new construction properly locates the lubricant holder and the. lubricant in the various positions of the wheel flange in operation, and this is achieved by the provision of a guide member which automatically adjusts longitudinally and laterally while remaining in engagement with the flange. The construction is versatile, being readily mounted in various locations adjacent flanged wheels and on either of the right and left sides of the wheels. For these purposes, the parts of the lubricator or applicator are reversible.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate several representative embodiments of the invention, a simple form of the improved lubricator or applicator is represented by the numeral 1 in Figure 1. This view is a representation of the lubricator mounted in fixed position on a railway locomotive truck frame 2 adjacent the flange 3 of a wheel 4, for applying a stick lubricant 5 to the outer surface 6 of the flange, the surface facing the tread 7 of the wheel. The lubricator 1 is mounted on a metal base or support plate 8, by bolts 9 projecting through a part of the lubricator and through the base plate. The base plate is securely welded or otherwise aflixed to the truck frame 2.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the lubricator is preferably of the axle. This setting is preferred as providing a. minimum of wear with very good lubrication; the angle may, however, be varied several degrees.

Figure 5 also illustrates a different mounting arrangement, wherein the lubricator 1 is mounted on a flat base plate 11 which is in turn welded to a bearer and brake hanger bracket 12. It will be noted that to achieve the proper angle of mounting, the flat base plate 11 is welded at a corresponding angle to the member 12. In Figure 1, the angular base plate 8 is in the form of a bent flat plate having a horizontal section and a downwardly and outwardly extending section. In installation, this plate may be bent as necessary to provide the proper angle of application.

The major components of the lubricator 1 are a hollow housing or sleeve member 13, a guide member 14 consisting of a shoe support 15 and a shoe 16. a stick or lubricant holder or case 17, and a stick or lubricant holder mount 18. The several parts and the combination and arrangement thereof serve to apply the stick lubricant 5 or the like to the outer flange surface 6 in the most advantageous manner.

The housing 13 is adjustably mounted on the supporting plate 8 by means of the bolts 9 which pass through the elongated openings 19 (see Figure 2) in lateral ears or flanges 19a of the housing and through openings in the support plate, not shown. The housing is mounted in fixed position on the support plate and is thus fixed with respect to the various elements of the car or vehicle but may be adjusted a small amount owing to the provision of the elongated slots 19. The generally rectilinear housing has a longitudinal channel-like opening or duct 20 longitudinally therethrough which accommodates the metal shoe support bar or member 15, passing therethrough. The shoe support bar is longitudinally slidingly movable in the channel 20, and it is also laterally pivotally movable in the channel owing to the construction of the channel walls 21 and 22. These walls form frustoconical zones in the channel 20 which taper towards each other and meet in a throat portion 23 towards the center of the channel 20. The channel is thus constructed to allow the shoe support bar 15 to rock or pivot therein about the apices of throat 23, and the support bar and the shoe 16 connected thereto are enabled to move laterally and thus accommodate the lateral movement of the flange 3 during movement of the locomotive or the like, especially in switching and turning operations. The shoe support bar 15 of the guide member 14 is rectilinear and constructed of a suitable metal, so that it moves freely and with very little wear in the metal housing 13. Rigidly connected thereto, as by bolts 24, is the shoe 16 which engages the wheel flange 3. The guide member 14 and its components parallel the flange in abutting or opposing relationship. The shoe is subjected to the greatest wear, and for this reason, is constructed of a hard metal such as friction iron, and it is removably and replaceably secured to the shoe support bar 15. The shoe is in the form of a solid bifurcated block or body, the bifurcations 25 and 26 being constructed to embrace or circumscribe the wheel flange 3 and having a contour which is the reverse thereof. Due to the greater wear caused by the outer surface 6 of the flange 3, and owing to the difference in slope of this surface, the bifurcation 26 which is outermost in the operating position is laterally thicker than the innermost bifurcation 25. The latter is also slightly longer than the outermost bifurcation.

The shoe 16 may ride directly on the flange 3, as illustrated in Figure 1, and it will last for a number of months before it should be replaced. In an alternative construction, illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the guide member 14 and thus the shoe 16 is supported on the housing 13 with the shoe removed from while embracing or engaging the flange 3. This is accomplished by the insertion of a cotter pin 27 through the shoe support bar 15 in such a location that when it is seated in a concavity 28. provided in the remote end 219 Of'the housing 13, the

shoe is withdrawn a short distance, for example, about fit-inch, from the surface of the flange 3. Since the lubri cator is located in a downwardly projecting position, the guide member 14 is supported on the housing. At the same time, the guide member is free to move or give longitudinally rearwardly. Should it be desired to change the distance between the shoe and the flange, the position of the guide member 14 is altered by adjusting the position of the housing 13 as described above. Alternatively, the location of the supporting cotter pin 27 might be altered. It will be apparent that like results can be accomplished by other means without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The stick holder mount, seat or mounting block 18 is a rectilinear metal block having a cylindrical opening 30 therethrough which accommodates the stick holder 17, and a slot 31 which divides one portion of the mounting block and communicates with the cylindrical opening 30. This construction permits insertion of the stick holder in the block, after which the stick holder is firmly clamped in fixed position by means of a bolt 32 passing through the block and the slot 31. The mounting block is rigidly secured to the guide member 14 by means of the same bolts 24 which connect the shoe support bar 15 with the shoe 16.

The stick holder 17 is in the form of a tube and has opposed longitudinal slots 33 in the wall thereof. The stick holder is constructed to contain the stick lubricant 5 slidably therein, for discharge and application to the outer flange surface 6 at the lower end 34 of the holder. A retaining cotter pin 35 is inserted through the slots 33 to retain the stick within the holder, and the cotter pin may also pass through a follower weight 36 (see Figgure 2) slidable in the holder, which serves to increase the pressure of the stick on the flange. This pressure is otherwise that due to gravity. In some installations, there is very little space for mounting the lubricator and after mounting, for inserting new lubricant sticks. In such a case, the construction illustrated in Figure 3 is employed, wherein the stick holder 17a is partly cut off adjacent the remote end to furnish an open cradle, indicated at 37. The stick 5 may then be inserted without the necessity for so much end clearance.

As described above, the remaining apparatus is preferably mounted in or carried by the housing 13, upon which the guide member 14 is either supported by cotter pin 27 as in Figure 2, or which merely confines and guides it while seated on the flange 3 as in Figure 1. At times, however, it is not practical or possible to use or aflix the housing to the frame or other parts of the vehicle, and the housing is preferably or must be dispensed with. In these situations, a construction and arrangement such as that illustrated in Figure 4 is employed. In this embodiment a shoe support bar 15a is provided, and it has a central longitudinal mounting slot or opening 38 therethrough. This slot accommodates a bolt 39 passing therethrough and fastened to a part 49 of the vehicle body or frame. The connection may be relatively loose to permit the guide member 14a to move longitudinally and laterally pivotally, or it may be relatively tight to allow for lateral movement while keeping the guide member withdrawn a short distance from the wheel flange. This relatively simple embodiment may be modified for more precise action by means readily apparent.

As illustrated in Figure 6, the lubricant is preferably in the form of a solid stick which is bevelled at an angle of about 45 at one end 41. This end is inserted first in the stick holder, and the bevelled surface contacts the outer flange surface 6, to properly commence and maintain lubrication. The stick wears in conformity with the flange surface, as illustrated in Figure 2. It will be noted that the stick holder 1'7 is Withdrawn for a distance from the flange, to avoid wear and fouling while providing a firm support for the lubricant stick. The position of the stick holder in the mounting block 18 and thus with relation to the shoe 16 and the flange 3, is readily adjusted by loosening the nut 42 on the bolt 32. The stick lubricant 5 is preferably composed of molybdenum disulfide and a suitable binder, as this compound provides excellent high pressure lubricating characteristics and such a stick has a service life of as much as 60 days or 12,000 miles for about a -inch long stick. Other stick lubricants may be used if desired. When the stick is worn down to about 1 /2 inches in length, as can be seen on inspection through the slots 33 in the stick holder, it is removed and replaced by a fresh stick.

A feature of the invention is the reversibility of the construction and arrangement of the parts. Ordinarily, the lubricant is applied from the outside of the truck frame of a four-wheel truck, for example, so that on one Wheel, the lubricator would be applied in a lefthand assembly when viewing the assembly from the exterior of the car. Lefthand assemblies are illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The other wheel of the tandem pair requires a righthand assembly and application of the lubricant, as illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5. The guide member 14 is reversible for engaging the flange from either of the right and left sides of the wheel by merely turning it over and reversing it, and the transposition of parts will be noted on comparison of Figures 1 and 3. The reversal is necessary in order that the thicker bifurcation 26 on the shoe 16 remain adjacent the outer surface 6 of the flange 3.

Similarly, the mounting block 18 is turned over and rotated so that when the stick holder 17 is clamped in position, it continues to approach the outer surface 6 of the flange at an acute angle with the flange and the guide member 14, from the outer side of the flange, the side adjacent the wheel tread 7. This is accomplished simply by removing the bolts 24, turning the block over, and replacing the bolts through the same openings in the mounting block and the guide member. The construction is thus quite versatile and adaptable, and the single part subjected to greater wear, the shoe 16, is both constructed for long useful life and easily replaced.

To summarize the operation with the new lubricator, the base or supporting plate 8 is first welded or otherwise aflixed to the truck frame 2, and the plate is bent to an angle of about 45, if necessary. The lubricator assembly 1 is then mounted on the base plate, either with the shoe 16 riding on the flange 3 or with the shoe in slightly withdrawn position by means of the cotter pin 27, while yet in engagement with and embracing the flange. The lubricant stick 5 is inserted in the stick holder followed by the cotter pin 35. If pressure greater than that due to gravity is desired, the cotter pin 35 is aflixed to a sliding weight 36, which bears on the outer end of the stick. Should space be limited, the cradle 37 illustrated in Figure 3 is provided for subsequent replenishment of lubricant. In more restricted situations, the structure of Figure 4 is installed. The car or locomotive is then ready for operation for long periods of time, with need only for occasional inspection and replacement of the lubricant and for even less frequent inspection and replacement of the guide shoe 16. As the wheel flange 3 wears, the position of the guide shoe in the embodiment of Figure 2 can be altered, by adjusting the position of the housing 13. As the shoe 16 wears, the position of the stick holder 17 in the holder mount 18 may be changed to maintain the desired distance between its inner end and the flange surface 6.

For the purpose of the invention the preferred angle between a line projected radially from the flange of the wheel and the longitudinal axis of the lubricant stick is about 20. If is an important feature of the invention that the structure permits the lubricant stick to be applied at the junction of the flange and the tire of the wheel.

The invention thus provides a very simple, economical and reliable wheel flange lubricator which furnishes excellent flange lubrication. Lubricating costs are reduced, wheel and track life is extended, and maintenance costs are reduced. There are no traction losses and no track fouling. The extreme simplicity assures ease of installation and trouble-free operation, and in particular, the unit is free from any tendency towards plugging and the wear is relatively very slight.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A wheel flange lubricator for applying a stick lubricant or the like comprising the combination of a bifurcated bar mountable adjacent the flange of a flanged wheel and engageable with the flange, a mounting block connected to one side of said bifurcated bar and reversibly connectable to the opposite side, and a stick holder longitudinally adjustably mounted on said block.

2. A wheel flange lubricator for applying a stick lubricant or the like comprising the combination of a bifurcated bar mountable adjacent the flange of a flanged wheel and engageable with the flange, a mounting block connected to one side of said bar and reversibly connectable to the opposite side, a tubular stick holder longitudinally adjustably mounted on said block at an angle to said flange, and a follower weight slidable in said holder.

3. A lubricator as defined in claim 2 wherein said bar is provided with a longitudinal mounting slot.

4. A lubricator as defined in claim 2 in combination with a solid stick lubricant carried in said holder.

5. A Wheel flange lubricator for applying a stick lubricant or the like comprising the combination of a bifurcated bar mountable adjacent the flange of a flanged wheel and engageable with the flange, a mounting block connected to one side of said bar and reversibly connectable to the opposite side, a tubular stick holder longitudinally adjustably mounted on said block, means on said bar normally holding the bar substantially out of contact with said flange, and mounting means associated with said bar and supporting the bar yieldingly for lateral and rearward longitudinal movement.

6. A lubricator as defined in claim 5 in combination with a follower weight slidable in said holder.

7. A wheel flange lubricator for applying a stick lubricant or the like comprising the combination of a bifurcated bar mountable adjacent the flange of a flanged wheel and engageable with the flange, a mounting block connected to a side of said bar, a stick holder longitudinally adjustably mounted on said block, mounting means associated with said bar normally holding the bar substantially out of contact with said flange, and mounting means associated with said bar and supporting the bar yieldingly for lateral movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,162,094 Oden Nov. 30, 1915 1,222,341 Wholey Apr. 10, 1917 1,887,450 Casey Nov. 8, 1932 2,203,112 Swanson June 4, 1940 2,580,687 McMillan Jan. 1, 1952 2,719,602 Carter Oct. 4, 1955 2,727,589 Campney Dec. 20, 1955 

